Teaching:
Assessments & Evidence of Student Learning
Throughout this webpage, I consider the many goals that I have for student learning and the ways that those goals are measured. This includes colleagues' observations of my teaching, teaching evaluations, and my reflection on students' evaluations of my teaching.
Peer Evaluations of Teaching (shared via Google Drive)
During the review period, I engaged colleagues from inside and outside my department in providing feedback that I used to improve my courses. In addition to observing me teach, the reviewers examined my course design/syllabi, assignment design, and commented on my ability to lead class discussions. The 10 reviews provided below offer a snapshot of my work in the area of teaching and learning. Click on a blue button to read a peer evaluation.
Student Evaluations of Teaching (shared via Google Drive)*
Below are student evaluations of my teaching completed during this review period. Since I began teaching at Fredonia, I have noticed that a small percentage of students complete the online course evaluations that SUNY Fredonia requests; therefore, every semester I create and distribute my own anonymous end-of-semester evaluations. The evaluation form that I developed asks students to use quantitative and qualitative measures to assess the class. The feedback is valuable in providing students' perspectives on whether the goals of the course were accomplished. The student evaluations of my teaching and my reflection on their feedback have positioned me to possess a deep understanding of curriculum and ways that Fredonia students learn best. Consequently, student feedback has guided my course (re)design so that my classes include high expectations and rigor and offer guidance and feedback as students are challenged to learn. I discuss these observations along with a self assessment of my teaching throughout the reflection essays.
You can click on the button labeled “McGowan-Kirsch Collected” to see data from the teaching evaluations that I created. You can also click on the “SUNY Fredonia Collective” button to examine data from the teaching evaluations that the university gathered. The evaluations provide a perspective on what did and/or did not work in the class. Then, my reflection essays comment on what the evaluations told me about my teaching and how I used the evaluations to modify my choices in the classroom.
You can click on the button labeled “McGowan-Kirsch Collected” to see data from the teaching evaluations that I created. You can also click on the “SUNY Fredonia Collective” button to examine data from the teaching evaluations that the university gathered. The evaluations provide a perspective on what did and/or did not work in the class. Then, my reflection essays comment on what the evaluations told me about my teaching and how I used the evaluations to modify my choices in the classroom.
*I did not teach courses during Spring of 2020.
Self-Assessment of Teaching
Based on what I have observed and what I have learned from my colleagues and students, I believe that I am working towards and achieving the following goals:
- Many of the course assignments I create and discussion activities I design contribute to a cooperative learning environment where students are free to challenge ideas and play a role in creating their own knowledge. To this end, I facilitate learning by creating discussion prompts and class activities that encourage students to collaborate while applying their knowledge and experiences to course content. In my experiences, some students come into classrooms struggling with how to be active and articulate citizens and may fail to see themselves as having innovative ideas. Recognizing these misperceptions, I urge students to connect their current commitments, past experiences, and knowledge gained in other courses to course concepts. I also use think-pair-share method to help students sharpen their reflection skills, strengthen interpersonal abilities, and support their public speaking development while sharing their results with the larger forum. Regardless of my approach, I help students understand their personal stake in course material and make the transition from a passive audience to active listeners. For instance, in Political Communication students answer these discussion questions in small groups and then share their findings with the class.
- I also empower students to accomplish communicative acts by helping them identify their strengths and target areas for improvement. To this end, I use assessment measures that help me recognize students’ needs. First, I facilitate and observe learning activities in order to collect informative assessment information. Specifically, I incorporate picture prompts, videos, in-class discussion assignments, and case studies that illustrate concepts for the benefit of visual and auditory learners and help me assess student comprehension. In Communication Theory, for example, I assess students' understanding of Uncertainty Reduction Theory by having them engage in a "speed-friending" activity. After students spend about 15 minutes answering these questions, we reconvene as a class to discuss how the activity demonstrates the theory's main ideas. Tasks such as this also meet kinesthetic learners’ needs by incorporating activities that get students up and moving while guiding learners through a visualization of complex tasks. I also utilize summative assessment tools by creating final projects, such as designing a website that explores a theory of communication, presentations, and examinations that ask students to apply theories or concepts to real life situations. I help students succeed by providing detailed assignment guidelines, concrete examples, and thorough feedback. This dossier webpage offers evidence of the aforementioned assessment measures.
- I design class lectures such that they help students see how course content is relevant to communication in their daily lives. To achieve this objective, I use my applied work in communication to stimulate student learning. I share my professional experiences as a legislative assistant, campaign manager, and member of the League of Women Voters to help students understand how we can become effective communicators while also teaching them about diversity and civic responsibility. Click on this link to see the visual aid that I use to teach Political Communication students about political campaigns. After the lecture, students told me that they enjoyed learning from a practitioner and a few students from the course have since worked on political campaigns.
- Over time, my teaching evaluations indicated that I needed to work on having students engage with community and diversity: local stewardship and/or global citizenship. One action I have taken to improve on this weakness is discussing global current events with students and having them identify ways they can use their knowledge to help those lacking a voice. For instance, when we discuss "fake news/misinformation" in Political Communication, I have students take an eye-opening "fake news" quiz prior to attending class. As we discuss their results, I make it known that they are educated citizens and ask them to imagine how hard it is for someone without their educational background to distinguish between fake and real news.
- Another area I have worked on improving is incorporating topics related to sustainability, ethics, and leadership into courses. For instance, in Persuasion, we spend time reviewing ethical and unethical persuasive acts (e.g., propaganda and misinformation). I also designed discussion forum prompts that ask students to connect course concepts, such as crisis communication strategies, to leadership traits. Students then pinpoint how a persuader can appear credible by communicating a persuasive argument that incorporates credible evidence.